Orem mayor blasts county's decision

OREM — Utah County's decision to pull out of the regional planning entity known as the Mountainland Association of Governments is poorly thought out, says one local official.

Orem Mayor Jerry Washburn calls the move akin to "swatting a fly with a Howitzer" and wonders if the two county commissioners who voted to withdraw from MAG have considered all the ramifications.

Meanwhile, Utah County Commissioner Jerry Grover has issued a press release he believes proves that MAG administrators are paid too much and the upper management is too entrenched.

MAG's executive director is paid $118,125 to supervise 48 staff members while a commissioner is paid $81,588 to supervise 944 employees, Grover said.

Grover and Commissioner Steve White voted Feb. 8 to pull out of the organization, surprising MAG officials as well as officials from the various city and other county governments associated with the organization.

"I'm just kind of really trying to understand what their issues are," Washburn said this week. "We are all concerned with the implications. They could be far reaching. It could have impact on our planning, on our federal funding. I don't think we fully understand what the ramifications are because it's never happened before."

The association is a quasi-legal group chiefly responsible for long-range transportation and growth planning for Summit, Wasatch and Utah counties as well as providing a number of services including "Meals on Wheels" to senior citizens.

Washburn said he's unaware of concerns serious enough to warrant the drastic step taken by White and Grover, who overrode Commissioner Larry Ellertson's objections.

Ellertson worried that Utah County would be cutting itself out of a valuable communication loop and lose representation as well.

He argued that a vote to withdraw was perhaps premature and hasty.

Washburn agrees.

"I know there are concerns, but before we abandon the cause, maybe we could see if there are better solutions," Washburn said. "It creates some challenges for us because Mountainland is the legally designated planning organization for the three counties."

Utah County Engineer Clyde Naylor said in the 26 years he's served the county, he's seen no benefit come from belonging to Mountainland, which has a $6.9 million budget.

Naylor said Utah County always comes in last place behind other entities such as the Utah Department of Transportation and the Utah Transit Authority when it comes to getting funding needs filled.